The present invention relates to a connector having a socket and a header arranged connectable to a couple of printed circuit boards respectively for connection between the printed circuit boards.
Conventionally, a connector is known comprising a socket 50 and a header 60 which can be connected to a couple of unshown printed circuit boards respectively as shown in FIG. 21.
The socket 50 includes a set of contacts 59 and a socket body 51 which is made of a resin mold having substantially a rectangular cylinder shape where the contacts 59 are aligned on two lengthwisely extending side walls 55, 55 of the socket body 51. Each of the contacts 59 has a substantially rectangular, narrow shape extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical socket body 51. One end of the contact 59 projecting out from one opening of the socket body 51 is bent outwardly to extend in substantially the vertical direction and designated as a connecting tab 59b arranged connectable with a wiring pattern of the printed circuit board.
The header 60 includes a set of receiver contacts (namely posts) 69 arranged directly connectable with the contacts 59 of the socket 50 and a header body 61 made of a resin mold having a substantially rectangular shape on which the receiver contacts 69 are mounted.
The header body 61 includes two lengthwisely extending sides 65, 65, each side having a row of recesses 65a provided therein extending substantially vertical to the lengthwise direction and linked to a lengthwisely extending flange 66 projected substantially orthogonal to the side.
The receiver contacts 69 are accommodated in the corresponding recesses 65a with their connecting tabs 69a extending outwardly from each side 65 of the header body 61 for direct contact with the contacts 59 of the socket 50 and arranged flexible for extending in the outward direction of the flange 66. One end of the receiver contact 69 projects from the rear of the header body 61 and extends in the outward direction of the flange 66 and, similar to the contact 59 of the socket 50, designated as a connecting tab 69b arranged connectable with a wiring pattern of a printed circuit board.
The socket 50 and the header 60 are joined at the connecting tabs 59b and 69b of the contacts 59 and the receiver contacts 69 by soldering to the corresponding wiring patterns of two different printed circuit boards respectively. When the header 60 is inserted into an insertion slot of the socket body 51, its receiver contacts 69 engage directly with the corresponding contacts 59 of the socket 50 to electrically connect between the two printed circuit boards.
In connection, both the socket 50 and the header 60 of the connector support their respective printed circuit boards on which other components are mounted and remain loaded by the total weight of the boards and the components. Accordingly, in case that two different printed circuit boards joined to each other by a combination of the socket 50 and the header 60 are installed in a mobile instrument and when carried and fallen down to the ground accidentally, they may receive a great impact on the socket body 51 and the header body 61. As a result, the socket body 51 will possibly be stressed by an undesired load and fractured at its lengthwise sides which are thinner than the other portions.
Also, as the socket body 51 of a molded structure is commonly shaped by injection forming, its one end opposite to the other end having an inlet gate for filling the cavity with a molten resin acts as a final confluence point where separate flows of the molten resin are joined up. At the final confluence point, the molded structure may have a weld line depending on the material resin, the shape of the structure, and the molding conditions, thus being declined in the physical strength or the structural stability.
For example, the socket body 51 shown in FIG. 21 has one end of the lengthwise structure thereof designated as the final confluence point where a weld line denoted by xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is possibly developed and may hence be fractured in the end.
It is only practical for avoiding the fracture of the socket body 51 to increase the thicknesses Wa and Wb of both lengthwise end walls of the socket body 51. This will however enlarge the overall dimensions of the connector.
Also, the greater the number of the contacts 59 or the receiver contacts 69, the longer the length of the socket body 51 or the header body 61 is increased. This may result in variations in the positioning accuracy of the socket body 51 or the header body 61 due to thermal expansion or contraction during the molding. For minimizing its dimensions, the connector having large numbers of the contacts 59 and the receiver contacts 69 is adapted by reducing the width of the contacts 59 and the receiver contacts 69 as well as the pitch between them. If the positioning accuracy is varied, the connection between the contacts 59 and the receiver contacts 69 may be disturbed.
It is an object of the present invention for eliminating the above problems to provide a connector which is minimized in the dimensions while inhibiting any injury of the socket by adverse impact and failure of the connection between the socket and the header.
According to claim 1 of the present invention, a connector having a socket which consists mainly of a plurality of contacts and a socket body of a molded form on which the contacts are aligned and a header which consists mainly of a plurality of receiver contacts arranged connectable with the corresponding contacts and a header body on which the receiver contacts are aligned, so that the header is inserted into an insertion slot of the socket body to electrically connect between the contacts and the receiver contacts, is featured in that an engaging rib is provided at the bottom of the insertion slot on the facing side of the socket body and an engaging slot is provided in the facing side of the header so that the two can be engaged with each other along the direction of header insertion, and also at least one or more sets of engaging recesses and engaging projections are provided in the facing side of the engaging rib and at the engaging slot on the facing side of the header respectively so that each set of the two can be engaged with each other along the direction of head insertion.
Consequently, when the header is inserted into the socket, its engaging recess tightly engages with the engaging projection of the socket thus allowing an adverse impact of load generated substantially orthogonal to the direction of header insertion to be received by the socket body about the engaging recess where the physical strength is consistently high but not by the rim of the insertion slot of the socket body where weld lines may easily be developed and thus protecting the socket from injury. Hence, as the rim of the socket body is reduced in the thickness, the overall dimensions of the connector can be minimized. Also, the positioning accuracy between the socket body and the header body can be improved by the effect of close engagement of the engaging recess with the engaging projection thus ensuring the electrical connection between the contacts of the socket and the receiver contacts of the header without contact errors.
According to claims 2 and 3 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the width at the distal end of at lease either the engaging rib or the engaging projection is arranged greater than the width at the opening end of the engaging slot or the engaging recess. Therefore, when the header is inserted into the socket, the distal end of either the engaging rib or the engaging projection engages with the distal end of the engaging slot or the engaging recess thus creating a touch of click. As a result, the insertion of the header into the socket can be acknowledged and improved in the holding strength.
According to claim 4 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging recess at the insertion slot and the engaging projection are located at substantially symmetry with relation to a point on the facing sides of the socket body and the header body respectively viewed from front. This allows the header to be inserted into the insertion slot of the socket body when having been turned substantially 180 degrees about the direction of insertion thus improving the utility of the connector.
According to claim 5 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging recess at the insertion slot and the engaging projection are located at not symmetry with relation to a point on the facing sides of the socket body and the header body respectively viewed from front. This allows the header not to be inserted into the insertion slot of the socket body when having been turned substantially 180 degrees about the direction of insertion. As a result, the fault insertion of the header can be avoided and once the insertion is made, the connection between the contacts and the corresponding receiver contacts can definitely be ensured.
According to claim 6 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging rib is located at substantially the center of the socket body. When socket is mounted by the suction action of a surface mounting device to a printed circuit board on which components are surface mounted, it can be held at the distal end of its engaging rib by the suction securely and balanceably. Consequently, the surface mounting action can stably be automated.
According to claim 7 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging rib extends lengthwisely in and along the insertion slot of the socket body. This allows the socket body to be increased at its insertion slot in the rigidity and thus protected from deflection. Consequently, when the socket is mounted onto a printed circuit board, its contacts can be aligned at one end along one plane for ease of connection with the pattern of wiring of the printed circuit board.
According to claim 8 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 7 may be modified in which the engaging rib extends up to both ends of the insertion slot while the header body has an opening therein provided at each lengthwise end of the engaging slot for engaging with both lengthwise end portions of the engaging rib along the direction of header insertion. This allows the socket body to be further increased in the rigidity and thus protected from deflection.
According to claim 9 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 8 may be modified in which the height of the lengthwise end portions of the engaging rib along the direction of header insertion is equal to substantially a half the height of its center portion. This allows the header to be reduced in the depth of the openings at its lengthwise ends for engaging with the lengthwise end portions of the engaging rib and thus increased in the physical strength about the openings.
According to claim 10 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging rib is located in the insertion slot of the socket body and has a slot provided lengthwisely in the back side thereof behind the insertion slot. This allows the socket body to be uniform in the thickness as thinning its engaging rib and thus protected from deflection as well as minimizing its material to be used.
According to claim 11 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which each of the two lengthwise ends of the insertion slot of the socket body is raised higher from the bottom of the insertion slot than the other portion and has a beveled surface thereof sloping down towards the insertion slot. While the header is inserted into the socket, it can be guided by the beveled surface of the socket body before seated in the insertion slot. For example, the insertion of the header can be carried out by an automatic assembling device, e.g. a robot, without positioning error of the header to the insertion slot, thus inhibiting the header from striking against and injuring the side of the socket body at the insertion slot.
According to claim 12 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging projection has a beveled surface provided on the distal end thereof becoming narrow towards the distal end. When the header is inserted into the socket, it can be guided by the beveled surface of the engaging projection so that its engaging projection smoothly engages with the engaging recess of the socket.
According to claim 13 of the present invention, the connector defined in claim 1 may be modified in which the engaging rib has a beveled surface provided on the distal end thereof becoming narrow towards the distal end. When the header is inserted into the socket, it can be guided with the beveled surface of the engaging rib so that the engaging rib of the socket smoothly engages with its engaging slot.